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Monthly Archives: October 2016

Dear Risky friends,

I’ve been on this blog since its very beginnings, way back in 2005 (I think) when Megan Frampton and I met up at a conference and decided that since we were both about to publish books that had sex in them (Fact: there was no sex in the Regency then unless it involved turgid members and hymens made of kryptonite) we needed a filth platform. And so the Riskies came into existence.

And now I’m going! Sure, I’ll always like the Regency period, particularly the servants and the clothes and the music. Not so much the Dukes and that’s why I’m no longer attempting to crack the Romance code. It’s been fun, and thank you to all of you who’ve visited, commented, bought our books, and entered our contests.

For old times’ sake, here are a few of my greatest hits in no particular order:

A funny. The Regencyland Hotline.

England’s first same-sex marriage in 1834. The documentary about Anne Lister is probably no longer available online but it’s worth hunting down. It’s narrated by Sue Perkins, one of the former hosts of the Great British Bake Off *(don’t know about the show’s crisis? Read all about it! and Mary left too).

All about Capability Brown, landscaper extraordinaire.

Rewriting the classics as Regency Romances.

A truly risky writer–George Eliot. Also why Daniel Deronda is like Thanksgiving turkey, because for a long time I blogged on Thursdays and had to come up with a turkey-related post.

Truly risky books–thoughts on Our Mutual Friend and Mansfield Park.

Bound by a Scandalous SecretGenna, the heroine of my upcoming book (Nov 22), Bound By A Scandalous Secret, is an aspiring artist who wishes to make her living with her art, but she has grown up in the country and has never actually met another artist, let alone another woman artist. I wanted her to meet a real woman artist of the time period.

My research led me to Amelia Long (1762-1837). Amelia, nee Hume, was the daughter of an amateur artist and she studied under watercolorist Thomas Girtin, a friend and rival of Turner, and also of Henry Edridge, a painter of landscapes, miniatures, and portraits. She painted landscapes which were exhibited at the Royal Academy.

After a trip abroad to Italy, Amelia married Charles Long, a politician and art connoisseur who was a friend of William Pitt and an art advisor to the Prince Regent, who later became George IV.

dover_castle_illustration_by_amelia_longAmelia and her husband Charles purchased Bromley Hill where Amelia redesigned the gardens, which were much admired.

In 1826 Charles became Baron Farnborough.

In Bound By A Scandalous Secret, I wanted Genna to tour Carlton House, the extravagant house of the Prince Regent. In my first version, I just made up a guy, but when I discovered Charles advised the Regent, he was perfect for being her tour guide.

I just love when those sorts of synchronism happen!

Do you have a favorite woman artist?

 

 

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